I owned a 1991 4Runner - sold it with 150k on the clock, never had a
problem. With gas prices where they are I would probably go with the Focus
although you could have an expensive repair bill in the next 4 years. I
drove a Tercel all though college up until it hit 260k when I bought the
4Runner. Focus for mileage - Runner for reliability. Good luck

Focus
By 2002 the Focus bugs had been worked out. Starting in that year the Focus
has a very similar reliability rating to the Corolla and Civic. Plus it
costs less to fix when repairs are needed.
As to the title of this thread, the idea that a 13 year-old Toyota needs
fewer repairs than a two-year old Focus is just silly. Look it up.

Focus
I certainly loved my old Corolla GT-S, but I agree completely. There is no
way I would take any 13 year old car over a newer, relatively bug free
Focus. Never mind also that the Focus has much better active and passive
safety. By the way, unless this is the west coast or Arizona, that 4Runner
has terminal rust hiding in every unseen crevice.
Stephen

Personally for someone that will be generating bills rather than a
real paycheck, go with the focus. It should have lower operating
expenses (gas, insurance, maintenance, etc). Also, I remember seeing
Ford's Focus has consumer reports recommended car pick(for small
sedans).
hth,
tom
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Under normal circumstances this would be a no brainer. A low mileage
Toyota truck vs. a Ford econobox. However with the $$$ of fuel
threatening to hit $3 by Labor Day you might consider the Ford as the
more practical choice.
Just don't tell your son about the Toyota suv he could have had.

It depends on how well each were maintained during the miles they have, and
how much they are asking for both of the vehicles.
If that 4runner is in really nice condition, it would likely be a good deal
as far as being able to haul his stuff back and forth between his college
residence and home (I've two younger brothers doing the college thing now,
so I can understand the whole drill.) It might give you more peace of mind
that he's in a truck vs a car, especially in high traffic area like a
college town. Mileage will depend on engine size and condition and his
driving style, but probably around 16-20mpg. Consider it more incentive for
him to use a bicycle for local trips, and drive less to save money for the
junk food he will inevitably live off of. Toyotas are fairly reliable if
maintained regularly (VERY, actually, my 96 4Runner has had NO problems
during our owning it over the last almost 5 years.)
The Focus is newer, but past the warranty (30K I think?) so either get it
WITH an extended warranty or have it checked by a good mechanic. We bought a
2 y/o Mercury (ford) with only 22K and it has been nothing but a pain. We
wish we'd got an extended warranty/service agreement because it needs it!
The dealers at the time were calling their new Focus something which sounds
similar but is less nice (as in, you're screwed if you buy one.) Focus would
get better mileage, but your son will also be driving it more as a result-
no real savings. It's small, so he can carry less friends (less liabilities
in a wreck) but also less college junk. It's also sportier. Fords can also
be fairly reliable if maintained. My parents' 92 Escort wagon had/has 350K
miles on the original engine using synthetic oil changed infrequently (often
forgotten about,) and had only had a few repairs (oil pan/gasket I think, at
230K- but my parents are heinous car abusers.) It now sits parked, but only
due to an exhaust manifold leak. It was running fine on last use.
Things to think of: insurance costs, cost of possible upgrades he will want
to do to it (if he's anything like my brothers, he'll have a wish list for
stereo, tires, performance parts, etc.) resale value even if it's in a
non-operating status. Also, whatever you get him, make sure to get a manual
for it so you or he can troubleshoot anything that might go wrong. It's so
much easier to have a little extra knowledge when you're both trying to
figure out how much it'll cost to get X repair done 200+ miles away from
you.
Best of luck to you and your son!

Well, maybe I'm going off personal opinion and what my brothers have told me
of their own experiences (and what I recall of mine) driving in a major
metropolitan area:
1. it sits higher, making it easier for other traffic to see him and vice
versa
2. it's older, so if it does get dinged in a busy college parking lot or in
transit, there's not nearly as much heartache involved
3. it's older, so less likely to attract car thieves who prey upon the newer
popular vehicles (including break-ins, especially if it has a stereo)
4. being a truck, it isn't as 'cool' to drive it fast/aggressively, and
often what you drive often influences how you drive
Those are just a few of the reasons I'd choose it for my own kids. Another
would be that it IS a Toyota and I'm familiar with them as well as with
Fords. I would definitely choose an older, tried and true design over a
newer one regardless as to whether the 'bugs' have been worked out in that
model, especially if there's been good record keeping by the prior owner(s).
I'd also want something easy to work on, multi-purpose, and with a decent
resale value. The Mercury Mystique/Ford Contour (what the Focus replaced)
dropped so drastically in resale value that the car we bought in 2001 (only
2 years old) is now worth LESS THAN HALF what we still owe, even with a VERY
good interest rate on the loan (the price was quite reasonable when we
bought it, well below blue book.) The Focus is showing the same trend in
resale values, if you check Auto Trader you'll see it's dropping fast (how
else is it as cheap as a 13 year old 4Runner???) Mass marketed vehicles like
that (and you might want to check the safety ratings on that Focus, not
nearly as good as you might think for a new car) are a dime a dozen, and
about as worth it.

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